THERE were plenty of sporty types around us as we drove Kia’s new Sportage along the winding roads of the High Tatras mountains.

They form the border between Poland and Slovakia and are a huge attraction to the Slovaks, who were out in their hundreds walking and climbing against this stunning backdrop. A bit like Loch Lomond is to the west of Scotland.

We were driving the Sportage in GT-Line S trim which gives this SUV a sporty look. It comes with silver painted skid plates, bigger tyres than the regular Sportage, a new radiator design and a dual exhaust.

In the Hight Tatras Mountains

It is also longer than the other models because of its new bumper design.

But it is the new engine in this car that points the way to the future. It is a mild hybrid – Kia’s new EcoDynamic+ – and the first of 16 alternative powertrains Kia have promised by 2020 including a new fuel cell electric car.

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It mates a 2.0-litre petrol engine to an electric motor powered by a 48volt lithium – ion battery. The car generates and recoups energy as you drive when you brake or coast, switching seamlessly or combining power sources when the onboard computer judges it necessary. What this means in real life is that you can tick the green box and feel smug while getting a surge of power whenever you accelerate and the electric motor adds its bit to the conventional one.

And it really does feel as though you have power to play with at your fingertips. We bowled along those winding roads tackling the series of hairpins easily and the Sportage always felt safe and well planted on the road.

Of course, it comes with Kia’s Electronic Stability Control and Vehicle Stability Management, which give you loads of confidence on corners. It also has specially tuned suspension that keeps you comfortable.There’s a reversing camera and sensors and you can even get the 360 degree bird’s eye view – looking down from above always makes me feel a little god-like.

For even more breathtaking moments you can put on the downhill brake control when you descend a steep slope off-road and the car will take care of the speed while you concentrate on the steering.

Having recently inspected the first model of the Sportage on Kia’s heritage fleet, it is amazing to see how far this car has come since its UK launch in 995 and it still comes with a seven year/100,000-mile warranty.